In his first article for TCW, Panthers fan Ben Ellington looks at Panthers league position and why they shouldn’t be in any way castigated for it.
10th place in the Elite League table and struggling to make the end of season play-offs. In any normal season, that would be catastrophic and would probably lead to yet another end of season clear-out of playing and coaching staff. However, as we all know this isn’t any normal season. I’m not going to go over what happened as everyone knows and frankly, it has been analysed and taken apart enough. All I will say is that the events of October 28th 2023 completely changed the course of the season, and all expectations from a playing point of view were abandoned, as they should have been.
Whether or not the Nottingham Panthers should have returned to competitive action is up for debate, were the team and the organisation ready to return to the ice? My own personal feelings are that the season should have been halted there and then, but realistically that would probably have been financially impossible and there may not have been a Nottingham Panthers to return in 2024/25 had that have happened.
It has been a difficult return to competitive action. In 38 games since returning to Elite League games against Belfast Giants on the 26th November 2023, Panthers have gained 27 points, broken down to 9 regulation time wins, 2 overtime wins and 5 overtime/shoot-out losses. That works out at 0.35, sees Panthers in 10th and desperately fighting for a play-off place with 9 regular season games remaining at the time of writing.
In any other season, major questions would have been asked of the coaching and playing staff, along with Omar Pacha as CEO who recruited this squad. As I said earlier though, this isn’t a normal season. Bar two or three loudmouths on The Cage Forum stirring up trouble from the safety of their keyboards, the majority of Panthers fanbase have acted with compassion towards the playing and coaching staff. The results, while disappointing, are understandable considering the circumstances and the trauma that this squad has gone through in the past few months. Despite this, the players and coaching staff have given their all to try and turn around the results and have a shot at the post-season.
It’s certainly still a possibility that Panthers could reach the play-offs but as games start to run-out, that prospect is becoming more and more difficult. Whatever the outcome, I would expect that most Panthers fans, myself included, will give this team the ovation they deserve. They are battling through emotions that I doubt many of us could fathom while still giving their all on the ice and for that, I will give the team the applause they deserve at the end of the season, regardless of where we finish. In my opinion, it’s the least they deserve for stepping back on to the ice and completing the season.
Looking ahead to next season and hopefully a return to a more ‘normal’ campaign, I would like to see some of this squad retained. I think there are the makings of competitive squad with a solid core. I don’t agree with some views that the entire squad should be brought back. I think improvements can be made in some areas to make us competitive. Nor do I think that there should be a complete clear-out either, it hasn’t exactly worked for the past few seasons has it? I think a retention of a core of players with improvements made in key areas will see a competitive squad in 2024/25.As for the remainder of this campaign, I think the Fife defeat on Tuesday has made it incredibly difficult to make the post-season. We have to win in Dundee and then it’s Sheffield, Sheffield, Cardiff. Hopefully the Steelers are still hungover from their cup victory, but with Neilson, Neill & Caruso probably out and a punishing schedule, it’s a tough ask. One thing I do know is that those pulling on the jersey will give everything, as they have, all season. For me, these guys have been heroes and even if the team does finish in tenth place, for the courage and effort they have shown this season, they deserve every bit of credit coming their way.
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